Do what you love. You’ve probably already heard this advice plenty of times before. But what if you don’t know what you love doing? What if the question, “what do you love to do?” results in a blank stare on your face? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. There are a lot of people (young and old) who don’t know what they love to do. The irony is that the answer is already within you. You just have to pay attention to the clues to find out what it is.

Here is a little exercise which might help you gain some clarity on what you love doing or what your interests are. First, find a quiet spot away from all distractions. Turn off the TV, your phone and any other thing that could distract you when completing this exercise.

Next, take out a blank sheet of paper and write the title Interests. Write down anything and everything you are interested in. For instance, if you are interested in bugs, write bugs. If you are interested in fashion, write fashion. If you are interested in plants, write plants. If you are stumped for things to write, try to think of activities you currently do which you completely get lost in — where time just seems to fly by! (The clock seems to be extra slow when doing activities you don’t enjoy!) For example, if you get completely absorbed fixing a car, then writing fixing cars as one of your interests. Or if you get completely engrossed baking a cake, then put down baking as one of you interests.

Once you feel you have made a thorough list of your interests, look over the list you just wrote. Do you notice any similarities between the different items on your list? Does one interest seem to pop up several times on your list? If it helps, highlight similar interests in the same colour.

Now, if you had to pick three interests from your list, which three would you choose? Be honest with yourself. Consider which things you truly enjoy. Could you see yourself doing one or more of these things for many years to come? Does this thought excite you or fill you with dread? If it fills you with excitement, then you know you are on the right track.

Remember, do what you love. Those four words are the most important words to keep in mind when choosing a career path. If you choose a career path or job that involves something you love doing, you will be much happier and fulfilled than if you choose one in which you don’t. So discover what you love to do, and pursue a career path which reflects that. Good luck!